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The keynote speaker for the Woodworking in American Design conference is Thomas Moser of Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers. Most of us were first introduced to Moser as we read his books. In fact, I remember in my early teens thumbing through my Dad’s copy of Moser’s “How to Build Shaker Furniture”. Throughout the years I’ve returned to that book many times.
Like most of us who dabble in woodworking, Moser is good with his hands. He learned the skill by watching and working with his father. As a hobbyist, Moser decided to supplement his income by rehabbing old furniture , a great way to learn and understand furniture design, and to recognize what methods of construction work and what methods don’t. He purchased pieces, then cleaned, repaired and refinished those pieces in his home shop before selling them for profit.
Later, Moser returned to school where he earned a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York and began a high school teaching career in Michigan. After that, it was on to universities and colleges to earn a master’s degree and a doctorate in Speech Communications. (You know he’ll be an excellent speaker!) All the while, he kept a home workshop up and running to enjoy woodworking.
In the early 1970s, while teaching at Bates College in Maine, Thomas decided it was time to walk away from teaching and begin a new career. In 1973, the Mosers (Thomas and his wife, Mary) opened Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers. The idea was to build one-of-a-kind furniture in Maine. He transformed his hobby into a business. A big business.
At the beginning, his furniture looked similar to the many designs and styles he had worked with and studied throughout the years: Shaker, Queen Anne and others. But that wasn’t the only work Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers did. The company’s motto was, “If it’s made of wood, we can do it.”
During the past 35 years, some of Moser’s designs veered from those early influences and he began to develop a distinct style with a more contemporary look. Also, the company has grown from a one-man enterprise to employ nearly 100 people. In and amongst that family of employees are three of his four sons , the one son who has moved on is also involved in a woodworking-related business. Today, Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers operates seven showrooms located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago and Freeport, Maine.
He’ll be joining us at Woodworking in America to talk about his journey. Not only will he share experiences found while building his business, but also his path along the design spectrum. For more information and to get a look at his company’s designs, visit thosmoser.com.
Photos courtesy of Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers
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